Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental and Soil Sciences Major, BS in Environmental and Soil Sciences – Soil Science Concentration


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Advisors
Eash and Logan

Many human activities adversely impact soil, water, and environmental quality; and there is a constant need for experts in the technologies required to collect sound information and to provide food, fiber, and shelter in an environmentally-sound manner. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Soil Sciences provides students with a strong grounding in basic sciences or engineering technology to prepare them for a broad range of possible careers. Students in this program choose between two general thrusts: Science and Engineering Technology.

The science thrust provides options for three concentrations: Soil Science, Environmental Science, and Conservation Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability. All provide a very strong basis in the natural sciences, as well as applied areas such as ecology, soil sciences, and natural resource policy. Students also build expertise with modern technologies such as geographical information systems, global positioning systems, and computer applications in natural resource management. Graduates are prepared to work in a wide variety of interesting and challenging career paths and to work with a broad variety of other professionals to solve complex problems. Examples of potential careers include soil and environmental specialists and scientists; state and federal regulatory agency work; private consulting in environmental and agricultural areas; and working with non-governmental organizations with interests in agriculture, environment, and natural resources. Students receiving this degree are also very competitive for placement in graduate programs in environmental and agricultural sciences and technology, as well as law school.

The engineering technology thrust has three concentration options: Agricultural Systems Technology, Construction Science Technology, and Off-Road Vehicle Technology. These engineering technology concentrations are applied programs highly focused on specific technical areas and are designed to provide the skills required to manage the sophisticated technological systems increasingly essential in today’s world. The three concentrations all provide a strong basic science foundation and add coursework designed to create programs of study emphasizing the application of technology in today’s world. Coursework in economics and the management of a small business are also included, along with oral and written communication. The construction technology concentration leads to a Minor in Business Administration. While these programs provide a rigorous background in math and science and include courses in engineering, they differ from programs offered in the Tickle College of Engineering and Herbert College of Agriculture (Biosystems Engineering) leading to B.S. in Engineering, and ultimately to registration as a Professional Engineer. The engineering technology concentrations are less theoretical, more applied, and more focused towards specific industries.

This concentration is a rigorous, science-based program for students interested in the field of soil science. The curriculum emphasizes soils and their long-term use and productivity, as well as surface and sub-surface water resources. Students will understand natural resource problems and their management, including soil and water conservation issues, land use problems, waste disposal, and reclamation of disturbed lands. Other areas of interest can be addressed through the appropriate selection of technical electives in the program. Students in this program will gain the practical knowledge necessary to compete for career opportunities in government, environmental consulting firms, public health services, environmental research laboratories, and agricultural production, while also gaining the theoretical training necessary for continuing on for advanced degrees in a number of environmentally related fields. An undergraduate degree in this field is the first step towards certification as a Professional Soil Scientist.

uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Soil Sciences – Environmental and Soil Sciences Major – Soil Science Concentration


Term 1 Hours Milestone Notes
1Arts and Humanities Elective * 3 2.0 cumulative GPA
BIOL 113 * or BIOL 150 * or BIOL 158  3-4  
ENGL 101 * or ENGL 118  3  
ESS 120  3  
MATH 123 * or MATH 151  3  
Term 2
CHEM 120 * or CHEM 128  4 ENGL 101 *
ENGL 102  3  
GEOL 101 * or GEOL 107  4  
MATH 125 * or MATH 152  3  
Term 3
AGNR 291 , AGNR 292   2 One Arts and Humanities*, Cultures and Civilizations*, or Social Sciences* Elective
BIOL 114 * or BIOL 160 * or BIOL 168 *, BIOL 115 * or BIOL 159  4-5  
CHEM 130 * or CHEM 138  4  
ESS 210   4  
Term 4
AREC 201 * or ECON 201 * or ECON 207 * or ECON 211 * 3-4 CHEM 120 
1Arts and Humanities Elective * 3  
CHEM 110 * or CHEM 260   3-4  
PHYS 221  4  
Term 5
1Cultures and Civilizations Elective * 3 ESS 210  
ESS 334   3  
PHIL 346  3  
1Social Sciences Elective * 3  
STAT 201 * or STAT 207 * or PLSC 461  3  
Term 6
BSET 326   3 No milestones
CHEM 210 , CHEM 219   4  
ESS 454   3  
PLSC 415  or PLSC 434  or PLSC 435   3  
2Technical Elective 3  
Term 7
AREC 470  or ECON 362   3 Apply to graduate
ESS 424 , ESS 434 , ESS 442 , ESS 462   12  
ESS 495   1  
Term 8
ESS 301 *, ESS 444   4 No milestones
2Technical Electives 9  
3Unrestricted Elective 3-4  
TOTAL 120  
1 Chosen from the University General Education list .
2 Note that some electives have required prerequisites. See individual course descriptions in the catalog for specific information. ACCT 200 ; AGNR 491 , AGNR 497 , AGNR 498 ; ALEC 440 *; Animal Science (any course 200 or above); ANTH 415 ; Agriculture and Resource Economics (any course 200 or above); Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (any course 200 or above); Biology (any course 200 or above); Biosystems Engineering (any course above 201); Biosystems Engineering Technology (any course 200 or above not required for the major); Business Analytics and Statistics (any course 200 or above); Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (any course 200 or above); Chemistry (any course 200 or above); Civil Engineering (any course 200 or above); Computer Science (any course 200 or above); Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (any course 200 or above); ECON 362 ; Electrical and Computer Engineering (any course 200 or above); Engineering Fundamentals (any course); Entomology and Plant Pathology (any course); Entrepreneurship (any course); Environmental and Soil Sciences (any course not required for the major, with a limit of 3 hours of ESS 242 ); Food Science (any course above 201); Forestry (any course 200 or above); Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries (any course 200 or above); Geography (any course 131 or above); Geology (any course); Industrial Engineering (any course); Information Management (any course); Information Sciences (any course 200 or above); JREM 451 *; Mathematics (any course 200 or above); Mechanical Engineering (any course 200 or above); Microbiology (any course 200 or above); Materials Science and Engineering (any course 200 or above); Nuclear Engineering (any course 200 or above); Physics (any course 200 or above); Plant Sciences (any course 200 or above); PUBH 420 ; SOCI 360 , SOCI 363 , SOCI 465 ; Wildlife and Fisheries Science (any course 200 or above).
3 Any courses not already required for the major.

*  Meets University General Education Requirement .

Environmental and Soil Sciences Major – Five-Year BS-MS Program


The department offers especially qualified students a Five-Year BS/MS program with a BS degree (major in environmental and soil sciences) and an MS degree (major in biosystems engineering technology). This option is particularly applicable to students in the Construction Science, Off-Road Vehicle Technology, and Agricultural Systems Technology ESS concentrations, but is also available to students in the other ESS concentrations (Soil Science, Environmental Science, and Conservation Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability). The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses for their upper-division undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their BS and MS degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students who intend to complete their MS degree at the University of Tennessee, as other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the BS degree. Significant components of the program are as follows:

  • Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required coursework. Conditional admission to the five-year program may be granted after completion of 65 hours of coursework meeting requirements of the BS degree with at least 15 credit hours of that in technical courses within their concentration. Full admission may be granted after the completion of 96 hours of required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.4 and at least 24 hours of that in technical courses in their concentration.
  • Admission must be approved by the department and the Graduate School. The approval process begins with application to the BSE Undergraduate Program Coordinator. The admission decision will be based on the coursework, level of maturity, letters of recommendation, GRE scores as required by the department, and work experience.
  • Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the BSE Graduate Program Director. Students admitted to the program must also request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit, and must be admitted to the Graduate School within the BSET program following the normal admission process.
  • Students will not be eligible for assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

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